British Species of Caddis-flies. 5 
Planipennes of Latreille (excluding the Perlide and Termittde) must 
also be divorced from their former associates. ‘Therefore it seems 
that either the Neuroptera of old must be divided into three dis- 
tinct Orders, or that one of the plans should be adopted, in which 
all the families with active pupe are retained in one Order, and 
the rest (including the Z'richoptera) placed in another.* I prefer 
the triple division, 
There are those who are of opinion that it is not prudent to 
separate the Trichoptera from their allies, the Lepzdoptera, but to 
this I cannot consent, unless it be on the broad principle which 
denies the existence of natural divisions. There can be no doubt 
that there exist great analogies, but at the same time the 7'r- 
choptera possess too many differential characters, both positive and 
negative. The chief of these are the presence of three ocelli (if 
any) and of mandibles in the pupa state, and the absence of the 
basal spur on the costa of the posterior wings and of the flattened 
striated scales. The form of the palpi and the arrangement of the 
nervures in some of the Lepidoptera are almost precisely similar 
to what is seen in the Z'richuptera, and in some genera, as for 
instance Mormonia and Monocentra (if this genus be truly Tri- 
chopterous), there is an approximation in the clothing to that of 
Lepidopterous scales. Of all Lepidopterous genera that I have 
examined Micropteryx appears to approach most nearly to the 
T'richoptera in its general characters, and in the pupa of this genus 
there is to be seen a process in front of the head which might be 
considered equivalent to the mandibles of the pupa in Trichoptera, 
but in an abortive condition. 
It has often been asserted that the imagines of the T’richoptera 
are unable to take nourishment, and from the imperfect state of 
the oral parts this would appear probable, but experience proves 
that they imbibe the nectar of flowers and other saccharine 
matters very readily, though I do not pretend to say by what 
means. Every Lepidopterist must have observed them on his 
* sugared” trees, and on the flowers of ivy, &c., and Mr. Nietner 
has recorded that in Ceylon he has seen some species by myriads 
on the coffee-trees, when these were covered with the Aphis-secre- 
tion known as honey-dew. 
* Erichson proposes to transfer all the families with active pup to the 
Orthoptera, forming them into a section of that order under the term Pseudo- 
Neuroptera. While this would certainly tend to render the Neuroptera (in 
the sense used by him) more homogeneous, it would have the effect of making 
the families of Orthoptera more discordant. Are they not sufficiently so 
already ? 
